as in to stain
to make dirty
she accidentally smudged her collar with the lipstick
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stain
a mark of guilt or disgrace
the president's spouse must not have the slightest smudge of scandal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smudge
Kiana Murden, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2025
Black liner was smudged along the shape of her eyes and popped in the inner corners.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 5 June 2025
Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
The smudge was visible because Lively wore her hair down and parted it to one side.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smudge
Verb
The long-lasting spray prevents makeup from smudging or budging for up to 16 hours, even in hot and humid environments.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2025
Black liner was smudged along the shape of her eyes and popped in the inner corners.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 5 June 2025
Noun
The white smudge on his nose looked like a bolt of lightning, so Lin named him Boom, after the English sound for thunder.
—Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
The smudge was visible because Lively wore her hair down and parted it to one side.
—Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smudge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smudge
Verb
-
However, the damage was done, thanks to the anchoring bias where the news broke, it was already stained in people’s memory.—
Pamela N. Danziger,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
-
It was stained in several places, disintegrating around the edges, and already yellowing due to years of exposure to air and sunlight and, quite possibly, pipe tobacco.—
Darcy Ballantyne
July 16,
Literary Hub,
16 July 2025
Noun
-
Some argued that, given the presumptive unethical taint of such collections, human remains should be buried or otherwise respectfully disposed of.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
-
That realization tends to color behavior, and taints the findings.—
Abhimanyu Ghoshal,
New Atlas,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
Some were prosthetic buttocks, but others were people’s own buttocks, but in various states, like dirtied down and with partial covering.—
Alex Ritman,
Variety,
1 July 2025
-
Crow-Armstrong has dirtied up the White Sox in six of those games, batting .458 with eight RBIs and a homer.—
Kalen Lumpkins,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Wipe the area with a cloth dampened with cold water, then blot with a fresh sponge.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
-
This blot on our state suggests the need for a constitutional amendment to make the office safely independent of the governor.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
Leaves and buds that are bitten by frost will blacken and shrivel, sometimes all over the plant.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
-
Let skins blister and blacken, while turning peppers with tongs, until they’re evenly blackened, about 5 minutes.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smudge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smudge. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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